Basic Numeracy: Cars With ‘2’ in the Model Name
This week we’re going to be bringing you a series of posts which highlight very specific model names of vehicles.
They won’t all be in current production, and we are certain there will be outrageous omissions. Still, consider these rigs a good down payment on an interesting topic: one which might make for a good road trip game or pub trivia question. Feel free to add your own entrants.
[Images: Polestar, BMW]
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Yesterday we started with the number ‘1’, after a brief but spirited debate as to whether we should have kicked off this series with the digit zero. You see the results of that discussion. There’s no shortage of notable and entertaining models with the number ‘2’ as part of an official name, either - starting with the vaunted BMW 2002.
Gearheads know that rig as arguably the genesis of the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ moniker for which the brand was long known, a stature of much debate today. Nevertheless, the so-called 02 series of cars were produced for about a decade starting in the mid 1960s, most notably spawning the 2002, so named for its engine displacement.
A turbo variant showed up in 1973, appearing as what many view as BMW’s (and Europe’s) first turbocharged production car. We’ll leave you to debate the minutiae of such a title. These days, the 02 series and its variants serve as a yardstick for many entertaining BMWs of this ilk, including today’s tech in the M4 CSL.
When the Polestar brand started naming all its models, it simply started with the ‘Polestar 1’, indicating that particular coupe was the first vehicle from the then fledgling brand. Next up was the Polestar 2, followed by the 3. Guess what was next; that’s right - the 4.
Unlike other such naming conventions, Polestar’s model monikers don’t relate to size or stature in the brand lineup, which is probably going to lead to confusion sooner or later if it hasn’t already. But regardless of what the proles think, the marketers are plowing ahead.
As for the subject of this post, the Polestar 2 showed up as something of a lifted all-electric sedan, taller than rivals like the Tesla Model S but absent the more-popular-than-free-money crossover type of body style. With its funky Swedish style, it stood out in a sea of sameness. We are using the past tense in to describe the 2 since its future around here is murky thanks to new tariffs imposed based on its country of assembly.
